The new 100% electric Renault Megane E-Tech shows the way towards decarbonized mobility: zero emissions in use, use of recycled materials in its design, batteries with a second life and high recyclability at end of life. From this moment, the model of the ‘Nouvelle vague’ Renault embodies the challenges of the new era.
“Since its conception, the 100% electric Megane E-Tech has been part of a circular economy philosophy. Assembled in France, at the Douai factory, this electric model reflects the Group’s commitment to preserving resources thanks to local production and a job, both in the previous and subsequent phases, with suppliers and recycling networks”, details Quentin , responsible for the Environment of Materials Engineering.
Designing more environmentally friendly vehicles is his profession. Doing so trying to respond to the social and environmental challenges that now mark our day to day and draw our future is the important added value that Quentin. To do this, it focused on the new electric Megane, a model that shows that environmental challenges are more than ever at the center of the company’s strategy.
The project had already started 30 years ago with the use of recycled plastics in vehicles . Now it speeds up and takes on another dimension. From now on, the supply and manufacturing ecosystems are thought in depth to be part of a circular economy dynamic, thus reducing the carbon footprint of the vehicle long before it is put into circulation. This dynamic opens the door to new perspectives in sustainable mobility through local sourcing, committed suppliers and recycled materials .
In the North of France, at the Douai factory, where the 100% electric Megane E-Tech is assembled, hundreds of vehicles pass through the manufacturing lines every day . The new Renault model embodies the values of responsible production by sourcing parts very close to where they are assembled, using numerous recycled materials and 70% of its global weight coming from Europe.
Both outside and inside, everything has been designed to optimize resources. For example, various body elements are made from aluminium. This material makes it possible to lighten the bodywork, providing it with better autonomy, but it has also been conceived in a circular way. To do this, during drawing, when the aluminum is cut to give the pieces the desired shape, the remaining material resulting from the cut is selected and compacted, and is forwarded to the initial supplier who reintegrates it into its production cycle. Afterwards, they return to the Douai factory and are used to manufacture new parts. This short recycling cycle contributes to reducing the carbon footprint of the vehicle’s manufacture and to ensuring the stock of materials.
Inside the vehicle, many parts such as the dashboard, center console, seat covers and floor mats use recycled materials. On average, the car has around 28 kilos of recycled plastics on board, which allows it to be part of the path of reducing the carbon footprint that the company is pursuing. Indeed, by 2030, the Renault Group aims to achieve a target of 33% recycled materials on board its vehicles .
“My role is to prescribe the most decarbonized materials possible and enrich the perimeter of recycled materials. In the 100% electric Megane E-Tech, the rate of recycled plastics has increased by 20% compared to Renault Zoe,” concludes Quentin.
